Public Statements

The Republican Contract with America

Floor Speech

Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, 10 years ago the Republican Party put forth the Contract with America, and it was the first time that collectively Members of Congress had put forth an agenda. And certainly the Democrats did not like it, but 10 years later they are trying to do the same thing, and I applaud them. I think it is good to honestly show the folks what their platform is.

Part of our platform, of course, was tax cuts. Does anyone think that we would have had tax cuts had the Democrats stayed in power?

Part of our platform was welfare reform. There were 14 million people on welfare. Today there are about 4 million. Does anyone think that 9 million people would be back in the workplace if it had not been for the Republican Contract with America?

The military spending went from $260 billion to today $419 billion and restrengthened our military. Does anybody think that would have happened without the Republican Contract with America?

And No Child Left Behind, our landmark education reform bill that put parents back in charge and teachers, not bureaucrats, in Washington. Does anyone think that would have happened without the Contract with America?

These platforms are good. This debate is worth having. We have been in power for 10 years. There is a lot more we need to be doing. We are going to work for tax simplification and more tax reduction, and we need to get better control on spending. Both parties need to do that.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud that we have been in power 10 years and proud of the accomplishments we have had in that period.